Various devices have been known for the application of liquid materials for lawns and for controlling insects. Typically, a prior art device would utilize a portable leaf blower or other fan propelled misting devices to spray the liquid treatment. However, most of these systems are somewhat flawed for various reasons as explained herein.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,563 discloses a particulate blaster assembly with a vacuum generating assembly secured to the air directing tube near the inlet to the air blower. The particulates when introduced into the air directing tube will have to travel approximately the entire length of the tube. Eventually this type of device can cause a buildup of material along the internal perimeter of the tube and can prevent the device from being used for other types of treatments (i.e. the same tube could not be used for spraying a weed/grass control substance and then used to spray a pesticide).
Other types of systems such as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0135004 require the device to have its own power supply means to blow the treatment out of the reservoir. These types of systems add unnecessary weight to the system especially if the user is carrying both the device and another lawn care motorized device such as an air blower or weed trimmer.
While the prior art does include devices that release the liquid treatment at the end of the blower tube, these devices introduce the liquid treatment at the circumference of an exit port of the blower tube. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,384 shows a yard blower with a blower tube and a liquid yard treatment reservoir secured to the blower tube and having a feeding tube positioned at the end of the blower tube. These devices do not introduce the liquid treatment within the airflow. This can be a problem because as the airflow leaves the blower tube, the airflow is extremely turbulent and typically expands in all directions. The treatment may thus never enter the main stream of the airflow and thus may be constantly blown out at a single direction and carried by a specific portion of the airflow; rather than being carried or mixed with the entire or major portion of the airflow.
While the prior art has certain suitable characteristics, they do not provide a simple, easy to use, and reliable apparatus for dispensing a liquid yard treatment, as provided for herein. There is thus a need for a compact, portable, highly effective nozzle system that can be used with readily available equipment to conveniently spray liquid yard treatments in an effective manner that does not require the liquid material to be introduced at some point within the middle of the blower tube or require a separate power supply. The present invention also provides for a more effective manner of introducing the liquid yard treatment at the exit of the blower tube.